Process for manufacturing low nicotine tabacco leaf substitute

ABSTRACT

A process for manufacturing a tobacco leaf substitute that maintains the taste and flavor similar to typical commercial cigarettes utilizing: (1) the leaves of  Morus alba  L, 1354MI, (2) leaves of  Lillium longiflorum ; (3) and leaves of herbs, is comprised of, including but not limited to: 1) a salted water soaking; 2) washing; 3) 1 st  drying; 4) steaming; and 5) 2 nd  drying. The tobacco leaf substitute of this invention emits a minute amount of nicotine than conventional cigarettes. The tobacco leaf substitute has a beneficial effect of being free of any cigarette-related poisons stemming from traces of mercury, nickel, and cadmium found in typical commercially available cigarettes. The cigarette substitute of this invention helps to quit smoking and eliminates poisons from the bloodstream of pre-smokers.

The present invention relates to a novel process of manufacturing a cigarette substitute, more specifically: a manufacturing process and treatment of a mixture of leaves of Morus alba L. 1354MI, Lillium longiflorum and herbs to add the tastes similar to a normal cigarette, releasing a reduced amount of nicotine when consumed.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a pre-treatment process for the manufacturing of a tobacco leaf substitute from the leaves of selected plants with medicinal effects. It tastes just like a normal cigarette but contains significantly reduced amounts of nicotine compared with that of a commercially available tobacco cigarette. It cures any harmful effects of heavy metals from smoking conventional cigarettes.

2. Description of the Prior Art

U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,837 to Hirsch, et al. describes a drying process for increasing the filling power of tobacco material utilizing a tubular drier. The cut material is conveyed in a drying gas flow, dried within a tubular drying section and subsequently separated from the drying gas. The drying gas has a feed point of at least 200 degrees Celsius and a flow velocity of at least 30 meters per second. The flow velocity of the drying gas at the charge point into the drying section is at most 100 meters per second. Within the drying section, the flow velocity of the tobacco material is also reduced. At the end of the drying section the drying gas has a flow velocity of at most 15 m/sec and a temperature of, at the most 130 degrees Celsius.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,049 to Henderson, et al. illustrates a method and apparatus for automatically determining the moisture content of a tobacco sample. The apparatus utilizes a rotary drum dryer with internal agitating vanes. Electronic scales are used to weigh the sample before and after drying to determine and store the “wet” and “dry” weights of the sample. Based on the stored wet and dry weights the moisture content is determined.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,420 to Livingston illustrates a process for utilizing ethylene and heat to accelerate the yellowing of tobacco in a tobacco curing and drying process for coloring the tobacco at a temperature range of 100-120 degrees Fahrenheit and applying a concentration of ethylene to the tobacco while the tobacco is subjected to this coloring temperature range.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,007 to Denier, et al. illustrates a tobacco treating process including the steps of introducing tobacco to be dried into a restricted pressure and flow controllable system to be entrained by pressurized stream for pre-selected residence time before disentrainment there from, the steam being held at pre-selected minimum pressure and velocity to improve fill value and smoking quality of the tobacco.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,191 to Jewell, et al. discloses a process for reducing the moisture content of expanded tobacco while minimizing yield losses and reducing particle lamination while maintaining filling power. The process comprises drying the expanded tobacco at a temperature within the range of from about 250 to 650 degrees Fahrenheit in the presence of an absolute humidity at a level above that which will provide a wet-bulb temperature of about 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,353 to Brackmann illustrates a drying method o f tobacco particles in a heated rotary drum dryer that is improved by flowing air through the drum at a flow rate at a rate of at least 10 feet per second. (3.25 meters per second), which imparts transnational or linear motion to the particles. The transnational motion causes the particles to become classified based on size and weight and thereby to cause smaller particles to pass through the drum at a faster rate than larger particles. In this way, smaller particles are less exposed to the drying heat than larger ones; so that over-drying of small particles is avoided and overall filling power is improved.

All of the prior arts utilize high temperatures and pressure for drying tobacco leaves. None of the prior arts illustrate a drying of natural plant leaves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a novel pre-treatment process for the manufacture of a tobacco leaf substitute that contains the taste and flavor of a regular cigarette, from the leaves of Morus alba L, 1354MI, leaves of Lillium longiflorum and shredded leaves of herbs. The process of this invention is comprised of, including but not limited to: 1) a salted water soaking; 2) washing; 3) 1^(st) drying; 4) steaming; and 5) 2^(nd) drying. The tobacco leaf substitute of this invention is manufactured in a normal cigarette-like appearance, 20 each per pack. The cigarette form product, made from the tobacco leaf substitute of the current application, contains a minute amount of nicotine. The tobacco leaf substitute has beneficial effects of curing the effects from absorbing heavy metals of mercury, nickel, and cadmium found in typical cigarettes. The tobacco leaf substitute of the current application helps to quit smoking and eliminates the poisons from the blood stream of pre-smokers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of the pre-treatment steps of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the FIG. 1, the schematic drawing of the procedure, the pre-treatment procedure of this invention consists of: 1) a salted water soaking; 2) washing; 3) 1st drying; 4) steaming; and 5) 2^(nd) drying.

In step 1), leaves of the Morus alba L. and Lillium longiflorum gathered from the mountain regions of Korea and China are soaked with salted water at ambient temperature to eliminate dirt on the surface. 600 grams of rock salt is dissolved in 2.5 gallons of distilled water. The temperature of the water is maintained between 10 to 30 degrees Celsius. Soak the leaves in the salted water for one week.

In step 2), wash the leaves with distilled water for 24 hours.

In step 3) washed leaves are dried at a temperature between 20 and 45 degrees Celsius in the open air.

Step 4) is steaming. 600 gram of the 1:2 mixture of the leaves from the step 3) are put into a batch steamer of commercial steam cooker containing 1 gallon of a distilled water there under. Temperature of the steamer is maintained 115° C. for 90 minutes. Then release the pressure build up inside of the steamer. Then the temperature drops to 110° C. After 5 minutes, close the steam release valve of the steamer and keep the temperature 115° C. for another 100 minutes. In step 5), drying the leaves at an ambient temperature. 

1. A procedure of pre-treatment of a low nicotine tobacco leaf substitute, consisting of five steps of: 1) soaking with salted water for 1 week at ambient temperature; 2) washing with distilled water; 3) 1^(st) drying in ambient temperature; 4) steaming in a commercial steam cooker; and 5) 2^(nd) drying.
 2. A procedure of pre-treatment of low nicotine tobacco leaf substitute of the claim 1, wherein the salted water is made from 600 grams of rock salt dissolved in 2.5 gallon of distilled water
 3. A procedure of pre-treatment of low nicotine tobacco leaf substitute of the claim 1, wherein the steaming procedure of the step 4) is comprised of temperature changing step of maintaining the temperature of the steamer for 115° C. for 90 minutes followed by 110° C. for 5 minutes followed by 115° C. for 100 minutes.
 4. A procedure of pre-treatment of low nicotine tobacco leaf substitute of the claim 1, wherein in the steaming procedure of the step 4), 600 gram of the 1:2 weight ratio mixture of leaves of the Morus alba L. and Lillium longiflorum treated from the step 3) are introduced a commercial steam cooker containing 1 gallon of the distilled water. 